How to Remove Skins from Pistachio Nuts

Pistachios are very special, as far as nuts go– in fact, they might even be considered the most “royal” of all nuts. They were first cultivated 3,000 years ago in ancient Persia, where they flourished in the arid and semi-arid high desert climate.

Once shelled, pistachios have a thin skin on the nut that sometimes needs to be removed for the purposes of a recipe. The skin is perfectly edible, but it can mar the texture of pureed pistachios, and it can take away from the nut’s lovely, distinctive green color. Luckily, removing the skin is a simple (if somewhat time consuming) process. Pistachios are small and fiddly, with nooks and crannies where the skins like to stick (especially compared with the smoothness of an almond, and the ease with which its skin will pop off).

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Use twice the amount of water as nuts - for example, if you have 1 cup of nuts, boil 2 cups of water. Add the pistachios to the boiling water and remove from heat. Let stand for 3-4 minutes.
2. Drain the pistachio nuts and rinse with cold water.
3. Place the pistachio nuts in small batches, a handful at a time, in the middle of a clean white kitchen towel (towels with a rougher surface work best). Rub the nuts vigorously within the towel to loosen the skins. Many will come off. A few papery skins will remain.
4. Place the nuts in a bowl. For any nuts with skin that remains intact, gently squeeze the skin until the nut is released. Discard the skins.
5. Once skinned, the pistachios will be damp. This may or may not be helpful for your particular recipe. If cutting the pistachios into slivers or quarters, it is easiest to do them right away while still moist. If using in a recipe, generally you will want a dry nut. Spread them out on a lint-free towel and let them dry out thoroughly before using.